Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) school board members voted unanimously to allow Superintendent Allen Bourff the authority to handle compensation issues for district employees if school would need to be canceled due to the COVID-19 virus.
The resolution enacted Wednesday night allows administrators to “review the impact of any school closing and/or if the Superintendent deems any other measures necessary to assist employees as a result of other circumstances related to COVID-19.”
Many school employees are hourly workers, such as bus drivers, food service staff and instructional assistants. The resolution empowers the superintendent to act quickly in the event of a school closure to take care of those workers.
Ryan Taylor, Director of Staff and Student Support Services for HSE Schools, told the board students who provide written documentation from their healthcare provider advising them to refrain from attending school due to COVID-19 will receive an excused absence. For all other students, the normal attendance policy remains the same.
Here is what Taylor presented to board members about school-sponsored events and travel:
- Any school-sponsored or district-sponsored travel to locations with travel advisories for the coronavirus, as identified by the CDC or the U.S. Department of State, will be canceled.
- Currently, planned school-sponsored or district-sponsored in-county, in-state and out-of-state events are continuing as planned. However, each trip will be reviewed as concerns arise.
- Currently, school officials are carefully considering events that may involve 1,000 or more participants. Stay tuned … for now, events will continue as planned.
- Students who are exhibiting flu-like symptoms will not be permitted to participate in field trips.
- Parents and guardians should verify that their phone numbers and email addresses are correct in Skyward and ensure that notification permissions are set to receive messages.
What about students returning from spring break? Here’s what Taylor presented to the board:
“Any person traveling for any reason from a Level 2 or Level 3 country for COVID-19 must self-quarantine for 14 days upon return to the U.S. As this situation is rapidly evolving, health authorities may also impose domestic and/or regional U.S. travel restrictions prior to spring break. We encourage you to reconsider any unnecessary travel and to rigorously follow CDC guidance. Persons who return from ANY spring break travel with COVID-19 symptoms may be required to self-quarantine.”
If HSE Schools would need to close, e-learning would be implemented. The YMCA programs before and after school would be canceled. School facilities that are rented, including to religious organizations, would be closed to all events. Plans are being developed by school officials to provide breakfast and lunch for students during any closure.
On the compensation issue, Superintendent Bourff told the board the school corporation would have no authority to force contractors to take care of their employees working in HSE Schools, because contract workers are not employees of the school corporation. However, the school system can encourage contractors to take care of their workers during any school closure situation.